Baby Christine with her birth mother (left) and adoptive mother (right).
Recent picture of Christine and birth mother Julie.
"I was raised in a strict Christian home. At 18, I met a guy who wasn't a Christian and that started me down a very lonely road (2.5 years of verbal and mental abuse). I then got worn down with the abuse and knew I needed to leave him. It was hard but I did it. In the mean time, I started sleeping around to keep my mind off him and to keep me from going back to him. I then ended up pregnant. Most people would think that would be the hardest time in my life, but it ended up being the best. When I found out I was pregnant I thought, this is not the life I want to live. My parents were going to love me through this but I knew I couldn't keep the baby as I would have resented her a lot, especially coming out of abuse. I knew I didn't want any of that going to my baby. At three months pregnant, I met a guy at church who told me: everyone sins, mine just showed...wow. We ended up dating. In the mean time, my mom had found out that her cousin and husband had been trying to have a baby or adopt. We decided that would be a good idea. Although my boyfriend wanted me to keep it, I told him he was going to be a jerk like the rest of them and I'd be a single mom trying to raise my baby. So when she was born (Christine), my cousins came from Nova Scotia to Ontario to adopt her. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The agreement was they would send pictures once a year with a letter about Christine and how she was doing. Well, those pictures still come 23 years later but the best thing is, I have been blessed to be part of her life. I married that boyfriend Troy and we have 3 beautiful children. When our oldest was born, Christine was 7 and she wanted to meet her baby sister, so they planned our first visit. Cayla was 5 months old when they came down. And to make a long story short, we have been able to see Christine twice a year since that day. Usually they have sent Christine here... when she was younger they'd come with her and stay somewhere else. It started with long weekends and turned into weeks as she got older. We have gone there numerous times as well. A year ago, Christine got married and our 3 children got to be in her wedding and Christine had us involved as much as she could. She has never called me 'mom' but that's ok because she has a mom who raised her etc. I now have 2 granddaughters who call me Gramma and I am so thrilled to be a Gramma and so thankful to have Christine and her family in my/our life. My children love their big sister. There has never been any secrets and it is the best thing I could ever have imagined. I love her so much!!!" -Julie